1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of a fuel lid that covers a fuel cap of a fuel port for fueling a vehicle and to a method of producing the fuel lid.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, as disclosed in JP 2004-175312A, a vehicle is conventionally provided on a side panel outer thereof with a fuel filler case (hereinafter referred to as a “case”) that is formed in an approximately C-letter shape in a side sectional view, in such a manner to surround a fuel port with a fuel cap thereon. The case has a case open, which is closed by a lid turnably hinge-supported on the case, so as to open and close the case open when fueling the vehicle. One end of the lid is turnably supported on the case via a hinge-stay in such a manner that an outer surface of the lid, when covering the case, appears the same as that of the side panel outer of the vehicle body. Conventionally, the lid and the case are assembled and then coated into a part by a parts manufacturer.
In a conventional structure of a fuel lid as disclosed in JP 2004-175312A, the lid jointed to the case is coated in a different process (at a parts manufacturer, for example) from a process of manufacturing a vehicle body. Therefore, there may cause a difference in coating color between the lid and the vehicle body. Consequently, appearance of the vehicle body may become ununiform, so that an additional process of checking the coating quality may be required.
In the light of the above difficulties, it would be desirable to provide a fuel lid having a structure realizing that a cover member of the lid is coated together with the side panel outer of the body with the same coating material in the same coating process.